Trade Names: Shop is in tune with community

Rick Alvey's passion for music serves as an inspiration for students at his Mechanicsville Music shop.

Megan Adkins, 11, takes lessons there and is auditioning for the Richmond Youth Orchestra. She has been playing the violin since the second grade.

"The people at Mechanicsville Music are the ones who encouraged Megan to pursue other avenues and try out for the orchestra," said her mother, Jennifer Adkins. "They knew it would end her lessons, but it was the next step."

Alvey's dedication to his students goes beyond teaching.

Adkins remembers how Alvey helped her daughter on a Sunday last November, just hours before she was scheduled to play at an anniversary memorial for her grandfather.

"That morning, when we were getting ready, one of her strings broke," said Adkins, who lives in New Kent County.

"We called Rick, and he went to the store and grabbed the strings and drove to meet my husband, who had brought Megan's violin. Rick ended up replacing all the strings."

Alvey, a musician, opened Mechanicsville Music in April 1995. The full-service music store sells and rents instruments and other merchandise and offers lessons and repair.

His interest in music started when he began playing the drums at age 6. He followed that with the guitar and saxophone. He started collecting horns in 1993 and at one time had 350. His collection now numbers 60.

"Every saxophone I saw was like a divining rod," he said. "I would go past a store and feel that one was there and then I would go in and buy it."

Before opening his store, Alvey worked as a purchasing officer for the state of Virginia. In 1994, he started selling used instruments from his home.

"I wanted a storefront instead of a hobby. I wanted to do this full time," he said.

The following year, he found a small room in Mechanicsville and set up shop. He moved to a larger storefront before settling into his current location at 7092 Mechanicsville Turnpike near Lee Davis High School.

Alvey sells a full line of accessories and instruments, from brass and woodwind to violins and guitars.

Mechanicsville Music initially offered only guitar lessons. It now offers lessons in a variety of instruments, including guitar, piano, drums, saxophone, banjo and French horn. It also offers voice lessons.

Students range in age from 5 to 90.

"We have some of the best teachers in the area," Alvey said. "We've grown from one student to over 300."

During the past five years, the business has grown 75 percent. There have been a few setbacks along the way such as the opening of large retailers, such as Wal-Mart, that also sell some instruments.

"It was very intimidating at first," Alvey said. "For a short time, we saw a difference in business, but then we saw people coming back. I think there is room for everybody."

Trena Carroll looked at several big-box stores when her son, Vince, wanted to learn to play the guitar. But she ended up buying the instrument at and getting lessons from Mechanicsville Music.

"Rick gave me a great deal and told me a lot about the instruments," she said. "He was very helpful in getting my son an acoustic guitar. As my son's skills have developed and changed, [Mechanicsville Music] has supplied him with what he needs to grow."

Both of Carroll's sons took lessons at the store before the family moved out of the area.

"They are very knowledgeable, helpful and kind," she said. "They never try to oversell. They are more concerned about the child's experience as a musician. They were very supportive of my kids and what they were learning."

If Alvey sees someone needs an instrument but can't afford one, he will occasionally give them one that someone gave to him.

"I always say, 'When you learn it, bring it back so I can pass it along to another person,'" he said.

He also participates in the "Adopt a School" program in several counties -- Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, Essex and Westmoreland -- and the city of Richmond.

His involvement is just one way he gives back to the community.

"I do support local musicians," Alvey said. "And they support me."